


The Reverse Flash's Ex-Wife

by fezwearingjellybananas



Series: Out of the Fridge and Into the Fire [2]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-31 04:16:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19418308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fezwearingjellybananas/pseuds/fezwearingjellybananas
Summary: On the 19th March 2000, Eobard Thawne succeeds in killing Harrison Wells and taking his identity.He does not succeed in killing Tess Morgan.This may cause a problem





	The Reverse Flash's Ex-Wife

Mister Allen flexed his wrist again. He still seemed surprised it had healed.

“Doctor Morgan?” Hartley asked. “Is everything all right?”

He was a good young man, Hartley. Tess had swooped in as soon as he’d been dismissed from S.T.A.R. Labs, right after he’d donned those gloves of his and attempted to single-handedly disable the particle accelerator project. She was still hoping Mister Ramon and Doctor Snow would leave, but they seemed loyal. A shame, really, however admirable it seemed. They’d have to convince them another way.

“A man in the lightning,” Tess said. Barry looked over at her. “That’s what you saw that night.”

“I know I did,” Barry said. He sounded defensive, though Tess could understand why. “And I just stopped a tornado, and it looked like I was running in lightning, so I know it’s not impossible.”

“You misunderstand me, Mister Allen,” Tess said. “I believe you. I think the same person killed my husband.”

* * *

The nineteenth of March 2000 had been the perfect day. Harrison and Tess had spent the weekend just outside Coast City, just the two of them. They’d planned their particle accelerator project, they’d had a picnic lunch together, and they’d started the long drive back to Starling smiling.

They never reached their destination.

The official reports said a tire had blown and Harrison had lost control. The car had flipped; they were both lucky to be alive.

Tina kept a hand on Tess’ shoulder as she recounted to Detective West, Mister Allen, and Hartley what she’d seen.

There had been a flash of lightning and a man standing in the road. Harrison had swerved to avoid him, that’s when the car had flipped. He’d pulled her Harrison from the car and spoken of time.

She’d lost consciousness and the next thing she knew; Harrison was sitting at her bedside in the hospital.

It wasn’t her Harrison.

He looked like Harrison. He sounded like Harrison. He talked as if he remembered Harrison’s life, but Tess knew it wasn’t him. She didn’t know how, but she knew. But she had no proof and if this man had taken her husband and stolen his face, she didn’t know what he’d do if he was exposed.

So, Tess had gone to the only person she knew would believe her.

Tina had helped her file the divorce. Leaving S.T.A.R. Labs, leaving Harrison’s dream in the hands of an imposter, that broke Tess’ heart, but she had no choice. All she could do was watch.

And there was no place better than Mercury Labs, also based in Central City, and S.T.A.R. Labs’ main competition.

She’d heard about Hartley’s dismissal from S.T.A.R. Labs too late. She hadn’t been able to stop the accelerator being switched on. But Hartley had heard from Cisco Ramon, and employee of S.T.A.R., that the false Harrison had suggested taking a young coma patient into their care. He’d noticed power failures in the hospital when he regained consciousness, it hadn’t taken him long to follow the trail back to Barry. So, Tess had rushed to Central General first, suggesting she take Barry back to Mercury Labs, stopping only once on the way out as she saw the man wearing her husband’s face arrive in a wheelchair with a young woman.

“My mother died on the 18th,” Mister Allen said. “If- If he killed my mother, then he killed your husband, and he tried to take me from the hospital-”

“It means he’s after you,” Detective West said. “Barry-”

“I have to catch him, Joe. Dad’s been in prison for fourteen years because of him, he’s killed people, and if he’s fast like me, no one else can.”

“I don’t think that’s an accident,” Hartley said. “The accelerator was set up to fail.”

“And we don’t have proof,” Tina said. “Tess and I have been searching for years.”

“Then we have to find proof,” Mister Allen said. “We have to.”

“If he’s after-”

“He killed my mother, Joe, I’m not staying out of this, and you can’t stop me.”

“You’ll need this.” Hartley produced the red suit he’d given Barry earlier, now with a lightning bolt on the chest.

“What’s this for?” Barry asked.

“A little pizzazz. Iron Man has his arc reactor, if rumours are true Batwoman has her bat, I thought you might need a little something.”

“Barry is not becoming a superhero,” Detective West said.

“Detective, what would you have done with Clyde Mardon if Barry hadn’t shown up to help?” Hartley asked. “I know S.T.A.R. Labs have been working on something, but there’s no immediate way to deal with metahumans.”

“Hartley,” Tess warned.

“I wasn’t going to suggest I personally try that again. Yet.”

“Joe, I can do this,” Mister Allen said. “I can help people.”

“And we can help keep him safe,” Hartley said.

“I suppose that’s not the worst idea you’ve ever had,” Tess said.

* * *

Cisco Ramon had never dated Hartley. Sure, they’d slept together once, but that was it. As far as Caitlin and Doctor Wells knew, he and Hartley disliked each other. No one had ever asked if Cisco had seen Hartley since he’d left S.T.A.R. Labs, so not mentioning it wasn’t lying, not really.

It was just, Caitlin was still grieving Ronnie, and Doctor Wells had other things to worry about, he and Dante had had a rocky relationship for years, and his parents would just worry. He could trust Hartley. He couldn’t always like Hartley, but Cisco knew he could trust him.

“The dreams again?” Hartley asked. He nodded at the coffee in Cisco’s hand. Jitters was on his way to work, and they made nice coffee, that was Cisco’s argument. It just happened to be the place Hartley got a morning coffee on his way to Mercury Labs too. He hadn’t intentionally met Hartley.

Unless he had.

“They don’t make any sense,” Cisco said. “I brought an umbrella to the bank yesterday because I knew there was going to be bad weather, and then there was a storm inside the bank. How could I know that?”

“I don’t know,” Hartley said. “Have you spoken to Doctor Wells about this?”

“He has enough to worry about. Something weird is happening in Central City.”

“I know.”

“I should go,” Cisco said. “I don’t want to be late.”

“Be careful, Cisco,” Hartley said. Cisco nodded.

* * *

Doctor Wells and Caitlin were both already at S.T.A.R. Labs. Maybe Cisco should have brought them coffee too.

But he didn’t want them to know about Hartley yet. He wasn’t sure why. But not yet.

“There was another metahuman seen yesterday,” Doctor Wells said.

“The guy who could control the weather, I saw,” Cisco said. “He attacked my bank.”

“Not him,” Caitlin said. “A streak of lightning.”

“I thought the weather guy caused them?”

“Not this one,” Doctor Wells said. “He’s been identified as Clyde Mardon, even if C.C.P.D. haven’t managed to explain the weather phenomenon. The car chase ended in a collision, and several witnesses mentioned a streak of lightning before an unidentified man spoke with Mardon.”

“You think the lightning and the man are the same?” Cisco asked.

“If that’s true, he’ll be too fast to trap with your Boot,” Caitlin said. Cisco nodded. “Did he do anything?”

“He was seen again with Mardon when Detectives West and Thawne confronted him,” Doctor Wells said. “It seems likely he was an accomplice.”

“Our mistake caused this, Cisco,” Caitlin said. “We have to fix it and helping C.C.P.D. is the only way we can do that.”

“Speed and cold are opposites,” Cisco said. “I think I have an idea.”

**Author's Note:**

> I only have a few notes on this one:  
> \- Tess and Tina are probably dating  
> \- Hartley very much meant that yet and is the one to go and help when Leonard Snart shows up. That's also when Cisco really really starts doubting 'Doctor Wells'. He knows his Cold Gun was stolen, but nothing else was, and Hartley's on the side of this mysertious streak.  
> \- Iris finds out about the Flash after Snart kidnaps her to get Barry to show up to a fight and Barry decides to come clean about everything (including that he's in love with her, so it's probably good she's not dating Eddie, but they do both need some time to think before anything starts)  
> \- Hartley is rather enamoured by Eddie. Also Eddie doesn't die, it's his cousin Malcolm who's Eobard's ancestor  
> \- Cisco's probably not going to attack anyone's house like Hartley, but he does find out Ronnie's alive and goes to Hartley for help, that's the point he puts S.T.A.R. Labs behind him  
> \- Caitlin probably becomes Killer Frost after Ronnie dies (again) and Doctor Wells betrays her because she's angry, but would eventually get a redemption arc  
> \- Tess and Harry meeting would probably not go well


End file.
